Sydney Eat Street: Marrickville masters the art of food
From popular brekkie rolls and Egyptian street food to Medovik — a popular dessert in countries of the former Soviet Union, like Ukraine — Marrickville has a lot to offer for foodies.
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You could swing a spoon in Marrickville and hit three good eateries, so why not get started
with some local favourites.
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Goodwood Bakeshop
When life gives you lemons make lemonade or if you’re Jamie Goodin and Alex Alewood, the husband and wife team behind their artisanal bakery Goodwood, make lemon and thyme galettes.
“Jamie is always inventing something. He’s always trying new things, usually with whatever produce is available that week,” Alex says.
It’s that creativity, along with the exemplary skills the couple has acquired over the years that has seen the pair helm the ovens behind some of Sydney’s pre-eminent bakeries including Brickfields, The Bread and Butter staples bread and accessories Blackstar pastry and Bourke Street Bakery.
It’s the latter though that is near and dear to their hearts as it’s where the pair first met and after returning again through their careers, where they’ve honed their prowess and developed an appreciation for local suppliers.
“We source pretty much everything from New South Wales and local suppliers. This way we get the freshest ingredients,” Alex says.
“We just picked up the last batch of plums for the season,” she adds, explaining the ripe stone fruit was the inspiration behind Jamie’s rendition of Medovik, a popular dessert in countries of the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine.
This traditional cake, otherwise known as a Russian Honey Cake (though by no means exclusive to Russia) is something Alex recalls eating as a child at her Ukrainian neighbour’s house.
It’s usually made with thin layers of sponge cake, honey, and sour cream frosting but as Jamie is want to do, his limited-edition version includes 11 layers of Davidson plum puree, mascarpone (in place of the tart cream) and honey, sourced from a friend’s beehive, plus, while supplies last, (i.e. until their last batch of market-fresh plums is exhausted) they’ll be donating $2 from the sale of each slice to the Red Cross Ukraine appeal.
At the moment, they have a similar initiative underway, donating $2 from the sale of each slice of their coveted and iconically Australian, vanilla slice to the recent Red Cross Flood Appeal.
“I think bakers are caring by nature,” Alex says.
“Maybe it comes from us (bakers) having to nurture our bread.”
She explains every element of the production process is responsive to the weather, to handling, and to all aspects of the ingredients.
Jamie and Alex’s charitable nature has been with them throughout their careers, something evident from their time helping to launch and grow The Bread and Butter Project a social enterprise established by the team behind Bourke Street Bakery.
It’s a passion that carries through the kitchen of their relatively small community bakery. You can practically taste the love and affection they have for their craft in every bread and pastry that comes out of the oven, but you’ll need to get in early, as in when the doors open, as they can sell out within hours.
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And while Goodwood Bakeshop has several staples on the shelves, including a variety of sourdough bread, the fillings, and toppings in their line-up of focaccia, croissants and other pastries rotates regularly — depending on what’s seasonal of course.
For a hint as to what will appear on their ever-changing weekly ‘Playlist’, check out their Instagram page for updates, and drool-worthy pics. (Thursday-Sunday, 7am-2pm or until sold out).
— 297 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville; instagram.com/goodwoodbakeshop
Gelato Franco
Waiting with bated breath, Franco Riservato stands behind the chilled glass display case filled with tubs of housemade gelato, spatula in hand, ready for the afternoon rush that happens, like clockwork every day at 3pm or to precise, when school lets out.
He has it timed to the minute, ready to welcome wide-eyed youngsters who carefully choose which flavour will fill their waffle cone that day.
With a genuinely sweet smile, Franco cherishes this moment as it reminds him of why he left his prior job at an established gelataria for 20 years to open a smaller shop in this gregarious community.
“We live in Marrickville. It reminds me of what Leichardt used to be 27 years ago. I wanted to do something locally for locals,” Franco says.
“The other aspect is that I still make it the traditional way which not many people do anymore — the traditional Italian way.”
This is done with a vertical machine, rather than the more modern horizontal one.
“With vertical machines, you need to take it out manually, it’s quite labour intensive but it gives it a different texture.” Franco says.
“It’s denser with less air. And with larger modern machines, you can’t do certain flavours.”
Franco notes that one of those that can only be done to Italian standards is Stracciatella, a traditional gelato made with chunks of chocolate.
“Traditionally, it’s about putting a topping into the machine and mixing it through, but in a modern machine, you can’t do that as it pulverises everything. You just can’t do the big pieces, even things like having the whole texture of nuts.”
This is apparent in his pistachio gelato, one of Gelato Franco’s signature flavours.
Besides keeping things small and local, Franco sees his gelato as being a way in which to carry on Italian flavours such as with the recognisable one in tiramisu.
“The way I do my gelato is like doing lasagne; the way you layer the cake on top, so everyone gets a piece of cake on top,” he says.
“Same with the panna cotta in the way that we layer the sauce with the subtle, creamy, and buttery taste of the gelato. It’s a gentle flavour where you really get a taste of the dairy product.”
While Franco’s gelato could easily hit the big time, he admits that he really just wants to keep things small, local and in keeping with the Marrickville community that he holds so dear.
— 281 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville; facebook.com/gelatofranco
Koshari Korner
No, it’s not a mirage. That really is a food truck in the middle of a parking lot, and that really is a lovely alfresco area draped with gemstone-coloured fabrics and picnic table seating.
“We tried to make it feel like the atmosphere of an Egyptian street, but in a nice way with plates. Not fancy, but just a little nicer,” says owner Walid El Sabbagh.
“All the street food in Egypt is vegan. It’s also very simple. It’s actually very unique.
“A lot of people haven’t travelled to Egypt, so this gives them an idea of what you’ll find on every street corner.”
Walid says this is also the thinking behind the name of his business, Koshari Korner — Koshari being a typical Egyptian street food made with rice, pasta, lentils and topped with a flavourful tomato sauce, which incidentally, is found on every street corner.
For the uninitiated, Walid suggests trying the mixed plate. It includes koshari, a traditional breakfast dish made with eggplant and fava beans, slow-cooked in olive oil with spices, tomato on top and tahini, salad, and Egyptian falafels, which he says, are “completely different from the ones most people are familiar with”.
“We make ours with fava beans, not chickpeas and a lot of vegetables inside so it’s crispy on the outside but very green inside,” he says.
“We just want people to try something new. We want them to learn that everything in Egypt is very simple but it’s also very special.”
— 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville; kosharikorner.com
Matinee Coffee
When it comes to an all-day breakfast menu, Matinee Coffee takes centre stage with a menu suited to every audience.
There’s a wide variety of housemade pastries, complemented by Matinee’s own coffee roast, however, it’s their breakfast burgers that steal the show.
Matinee has three adaptations of the classic brekkie roll — thick-cut bourbon bacon, salmon, or field mushroom, each one pimped out with a hash brown and fried egg on a brioche bun.
Wash that down with one of their epic chocolate, strawberry or salted caramel milkshakes, all of which are vegan and made using almond milk and coconut ice cream. Or for mature audiences, add a cocktail and make it a boozy lunch.
It’s a wonderfully eclectic venue with an interior that blends 50s diner with Broadway kitsch — and it works, thanks to the creatives that work the floor and owner, an inner west local, Charles Cameron.
“I love the diversity, energy and creativity of Sydney’s cafe scene,” he says, noting that the naming of the venue, Matinee is a suggestion that cafes, should be a daytime show where everyone is welcome to have a great time.
After all, it’s always brunch o-clock somewhere. (Monday-Sunday, 7am-3pm)
— Shop 1, 23-29 Addison Rd, Marrickville; matineecoffee.com
Vic on the Park
There’s a basketball court. That alone is reason enough to visit Vic on the Park, a stalwart of the Marrickville community, but in fairness, there is so much more that has made this a fave for so long, such as polished versions of pub grub faves and more contemporary fare including lamb flatbread from its rotisserie & charcoal grill, or the spicy lobster roll.
The Vic also boasts a pretty packed calendar, with local bands playing Thursday-Sunday, special events, such as the London Street Party on April 2-3; a Camden-style street party with jerk chicken pop-ups, a gin slushy bar, live music, DJs, a limited-edition gin menu, a punk dog show, and live screen-printing all weekend.
— 2 Addison Rd, Marrickville; merivale.com
Eat Fuh
Nothing tastes as good as a home-cooked meal. Still, for Hoang Nguyen, co-owner of Eat Fuh, it took a stint in the cold winters of London for him to realise how just how good he had it as nothing compared to the flavours and fragrance of his mother’s pho, a Vietnamese bone broth-based.
When he returned to Sydney – Marrickville actually – he realised that his mother’s version was still beyond compare, so he started selling it at local markets, eventually opening a shop in Marrickville. Now, six shops later, everyone in Sydney can eat pho.
— 274 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville
Nanyang Malaya Cafe
They’d only been open 10 days before this Singaporean/Malaysian cafe located in the (very) new Marrickville Metro shopping centre had to close in accordance with the pandemic lockdown.
In that short time, though, Nanyang had already garnered enough fans, that co-owner Billy Chong began setting up a takeaway and home-delivery service, and once the doors were swung back open, the vibrant street-scene themed venue was back to serving the dishes that had made them so popular from day one: laksas, curries, six variations of mud crabs, and even the vegan ramen-based Ramly Rendang Burger.
— Marrickville Metro, Shop G001, 20 Smidmore St, Marrickville; nanyangmalayacafe.com.au
Marrickville Organic Market
There’s more to be had here than just farm-fresh produce; the Marrickville Market has grown to become one of Sydney’s much-loved destinations for artisanal products and a stellar line-up of food trucks and stalls, selling everything from German sausage sizzles to vegan doughnuts, a true one-stop-shop for all your foodie needs. Sundays, 9am-3pm.
— Addison Road Centre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville
WHAT’S FRESH
Miss Sina
If necessity is the mother of invention, then Sina Klug, co-owner of Nutie Donuts is the matriarch of tasty gluten-free and vegan desserts.
What started as a side project to create some semblance of palatable gluten-free sweets for a coeliac friend, has proven so successful that not only does she have a devout following with GF and vegan crown but she’s proud to say that even non-believers have made repeat visits.
Originally set to open in December, her latest endeavour, Miss Sina, a bakery, and cafe that will also host cooking classes, is set to officially open in a matter of weeks. Follow Nutie’s Instagram page for updates.
— 132-134 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville; instagram.com/wearenutie
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Everyone is happy to see the sun peeking through the clouds, but winter’s not all bad. Bid farewell to the colder days with one last hurrah of warming fare.
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